Cooking with Nopales (prickly pear cactus)

I have always been fascinated with succulent plants and cactus, but it wasn't until the last few years that I started eating them.  Nopales is a prickly pear cactus that I'm sure you have seen growing outside, or as a house plant.  In fact,  this hearty plant grows in Georgia and even at my mom's house in Ohio.

Nopales have a light, slightly tart flavor and have a crisp texture on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. To me it seems like a vegetable because they are very rich in fiber.  They are also rich in vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K) and minerals (magnesium, potassium), in recent years, I have really grown to love them.

Until several months ago when mis suegras (in-law's) did a big landscaping project, they grew this cactus in the back yard and we were able to go outside with a knife and cut off a peddle or two.  If you don't have it growing though, you can check your local Whole Foods, or you may even need to go to a specialty mexican grocery.  You will see them in the markets of Mexico for just 5 pesos, here it's closer to $1.

After you find it, the hard part is over.

When deciding what do do with this beautiful cactus I considered nopales en crema, [which I will share with you another time] but I wanted something that really highlights the flavor of the cactus, so I opted for a simple saute.

Nopales

2 cactus paddles

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

2 serrano peppers, diced

2tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Boil cactus until until tender (but not mushy)  about 15 minutes.  Drain and pat dry.

Heat olive oil and saute garlic and onion until translucent

Add tomatoes, peppers and cactus and until cooked through

Serve hot.  Que rico.

Arroz Mexicano o Mexican Rice

Rice is a staple in so many countries.  I can eat rice everyday.  When I lived in Costa Rica for a year, I did eat rice every day.  Rice with beans, and beans with rice.  I never got sick of it.  Whether we are cooking  Thai, Indian, or Mexican, rice is the perfect companion.

 I was excited when mi suegra made Arroz Mexicano one day this summer.  I wanted to learn so I quickly grabbed my notebook.  This recipe is my definition of comfort food and will go with any main dish. Easy and very flavorful!




Ligia's Mexican Rice

2 cups long grain rice

1 clove garlic, diced

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

3 tblsp of oil

2 chicken bouillon cubes

3tbsp tomato sauce

handful of cilantro, chopped

Add oil to pan. As the oil heats up, add rice and sautee. Add garlic and cook till smell. Add onion and sautee on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and sautee for a few minutes. Then add tomato sauce and cilantro. Add the water (1/1/2 cup water for every cup of rice). Bring to boil and then lower heat and cook on low covered.

Refried Beans

Matt Armendariz's blog MattBites has been in my reader for a long time now. I love his writing style and his photos are phenomenal. When he invited his readers to Summer Fest 2009, I wanted to participate. What a fun idea. Its four weeks of sharing recipes. Pop over to his blog to see what others are posting. The first two weeks of summerfest were delicious with one week of Herbs and another week of Fruits from Trees.

This weeks theme is "Beans & Greens"

Immediately I thought of refried beans. Tortillas. Salsa. Beans. These are all staples of Mexican cooking. Served for breakfast, lunch and dinner, beans are low in fat and high in protein. They are definitely a staple in our house.

You won't believe how easy they are to make either. You can start with dry pinto beans that you have already cooked or use canned beans. We do both ways, but since we make these so frequently, we more often use canned beans. One benefit is that this can be ready in less than 10 minutes, another is that no salt is needed. (canned beans come with enough sodium added. You won't want to rinse these as the juice is key to the consistency.
Refried Beans

1Tbsp canola oil

3-4 dried chile de arbol peppers (available in most grocery stores)

1 24 oz can of whole pinto beans (make sure they aren't cooked with pork)

Heat the canola oil and add peppers. Cook until blackened. Take pan off heat and let cool [or it will splatter] Add beans. Simmer. Mash. Serve. Que rico!